Lauryn Hill showed her appreciation for New Zealand culture by pulling over her shuttle car to watch some local dancers. The Fugees MC was in town headlining Eden Festival Auckland on Saturday (October 7) when she saw the Kaihaka Kapa Haka group dancing a traditional dance on the streets. The Grammy Award-winner stopped everything to just watch them do their thing.
The group danced and chanted as they represented their ancestors as Hill watched from her side door. They posted the experience online with the caption, “Kaihaka Kapa Haka perform the Tū Tangata haka for Ms. Hill while exiting the venue. The haka was written by our rangatira Eru Wilton and speaks of rising up and overcoming all that tries to keep us down. overcoming dysfunctions and the negative effects of colonisation. To be the best version of ourselves whom God created us to be. Transforming our families from dysfunctional to functional again. @Ms. Lauryn Hill”
@kaihaka Kaihaka Kapa Haka perform the Tū Tangata haka for Ms. Hill while exiting the venue. The haka was written by our rangatira Eru Wilton and speaks of rising up and overcoming all that tries to keep us down. overcoming dysfunctions and the negative effects of colonisation. To be the best version of ourselves whom God created us to be. Transforming our families from dysfunctional to functional again. @Ms. Lauryn Hill #haka #māori #kaihakakapahaka #indigenous #emancipation #freedom #tūtangata
♬ original sound – Kaihaka Kapa Haka
Haka went on to share a few other videos showing Hill not only sharing her spirit but also allowing others to connect with her family. The group posted for a picture and tried to get Ms. Hill, Joshua Marley and Selah Marley to dance with them. The videos captured the “X-Factor” singer in a relaxed space and with a smile.
@kaihaka Kaihaka Kapa Haka had the pleasure of welcoming Ms Lauryn Hill and her daughter Selah Marley and son Joshua Marley to Aotearoa (New Zealand) with a customary Māori welcome, a Pōwhiri when they arrived. Our rangatira Eru Wilton taught them the Māori Pūkana after the Pōwhiri. More footage to follow… #mslaurynhill #kaihakakapahaka #māori #pūkana #pōwhiri #haka #keepyourculture
♬ original sound – Kaihaka Kapa Haka
Hill just celebrated the 25th anniversary of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which garnered five Grammy Awards, notably Album of the Year. The New Jersey native is launching a tour to commemorate everything.
“I was confident that what inspired me would resonate with an audience that had been led to believe that songs of that kind could only live in the past,” Hill shared in a statement about her first debut project. “I felt a charge to challenge the idea that certain kinds of expression and/or certain kinds of people didn’t belong in certain places. I loved showing what could work or happen provided there was imagination, creativity, and LOVE leading the way.”
@kaihaka Kaihaka Kapa had the pleasure of welcoming Ms Lauryn Hill and her daughter Selah and son Joshua Marley (grandchildren of Bob Marley) to Aotearoa (New Zealand) with a customary Māori welcome a pōwhiri. This is a snippet of our rangatira Eru Wilton greeting them and sharing some of our Māori humour. More to follow… #mslaurynhill #maori #kaihakakapahaka #haka #culture #aotearoa #powhiri
♬ To Zion (feat. Carlos Santana) – Lauryn Hill
@kaihaka Ms Lauryn Hill wanted to share some time with Kaihaka Kapa Haka after her concert. So our rangatira Eru Rarere-Wilton shared the pükana with her and YG Marley again. Thank you Ms. Hill it has been our privilege. Toru, Wha, Pūkana! #mslaurynhill #ygmarley #kaihakakapahaka #haka #pūkana #māori #fyp #emancipation
♬ original sound – Kaihaka Kapa Haka